Nov 20 2009 letter to Michael Applebaum

Subject: follow up to my question
Friday, November 20, 2009 2:52 PM
From: pbburns@yahoo.com
To: mapplebaum@ville.montreal.qc.ca
Cc: mcqueenp@videotron.ca

Hi Michael, (CCing my NDG councillor Peter McQueen),

Sorry to bother you but I have yet to get a follow up from the city employee with respect to my question at the last borough council meeting. I also would like to apologize if I was a little emotional during my question. I appreciate everything you have already done.

I am not so much angry about the situation at 2290 Girouard for myself but for some of the other people who lived there and were forced out of the building. There was a 30 year-long tenant who had raised her family in the building (you saw her on CTV news). There was a school teacher. There was a single mother of two. There were students and newly graduated students. I am a computer engineer with a master's degree from mcgill working for an ndg-based firm. All these people were contributing to their community.

About your very good point about there being other resources such as the regie de logement - that is true - although I had opened a case with the regie in august 2007 and had yet to hear back from them when I moved out at the end of august 2009 (the letter arrived in october 2009 - too late). Also in oct 2009 I attended a regie hearing with a fellow tenant that was successfully stalled by the owner's lawyer - forcing a two month delay even in the face of no heat. So this is why the vigilance of city inspectors is so crucial. Perhaps in your new role as housing executive you can also lobby the provincial government for reduced Regie waiting times (their target for tenants that want to stay in their apartment is 15 months - from the 2009 annual report... 6 years ago the target was 3 months! It's completely absurd and the fallout is falling on the shoulders of the city).

I do recognize that we, the tenants, should have been more in touch with the city inspectors. I would however have expected that since the building was known to have been in such dire straights they would have occasionally at least called one of the tenants to make sure everything was fine.

I know you are very busy, but if you want to discuss this situation and how similar situations can be improved in the future please don't hesitate to contact me (cell: 514-692-1432). Also if your lawyers would like help in the case against any of the owners of 2290 Girouard (Le Girouard Inc. , Cogir Management, or Solfilco Inc.) - I may be of help.

sorry again to bother you.
Phil Bergeron-Burns